One-time Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller announced his retirement on Sunday, while another one-time Pro Bowl tight end, Marcedes Lewis, will be returning to the Chicago Bears for his 19th NFL season.
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Five-time Pro Bowl tight end Jimmy Graham has yet to decide whether he will join Waller in retirement or return for his 14th season. Graham’s decision seems to hinge on whether the New Orleans Saints want him back.
“I’m gonna reach out to the Saints and figure out what’s best, and then make the decision on when it’s best for me to retire,” Graham said, according to ESPN’s Katherine Terrell. “I don’t have any expectations. I just want to make sure when I retire, it’s as a Saint, and it’s when they want me to. I’ll just make sure I give them a call and see exactly when they want me to retire and then I’ll end up doing it.”
Per Katherine Terrell’s report, 37-year-old Jimmy Graham is currently training to row 1,000 kilometers across the Arctic Ocean next summer in pursuit of a world record. Graham will be part of a four-person team attempting to break the current record of 15 days, five hours, and 32 minutes.
Graham’s foray into extreme physical challenges outside of football is not new for the University of Miami product, and he plans to keep pushing his limits. Terrell noted that Graham is also planning several long-distance bike rides over the next year, including a race with former NFL tight end Luke Willson at the end of June.
During a “The Pat McAfee Show” appearance last May, Graham detailed a terrifying cycling accident he experienced. A.J. Hawk, his former longtime teammate, revealed that Graham was hit by a car while riding his bike in Miami. Graham estimated he was moving at about 20 mph when the driver, going 20 to 25 mph, struck him. The accident resulted in a leg wound and significant skin abrasions on his back.
Graham was also involved in a rollover car accident in Miami in March 2021 but emerged uninjured. In addition to his athletic endeavors, he has worked as a commercial pilot and spent time living on a sailboat, earning 10 different licenses over his first 10 years in the NFL.
After sitting out the 2022 season and initially declining offers from multiple teams last offseason, the 2013 First Team All-Pro signed a one-year deal with the New Orleans Saints in July for a second stint with the team. Graham played the first five years of his career with New Orleans, earning his first three Pro Bowl honors, before also playing for the Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, and Chicago Bears.
Graham finished last season with career lows in targets (seven), receptions (six), and receiving yards (39), but maintained his knack for finding the end zone with four touchdown catches. He ranks fourth among tight ends and 16th all-time with 89 career receiving scores.
When asked about the possibility of balancing NFL play with training for the ocean rowing challenge, Graham said he believed “anything is possible.”
“Right now, I’m certainly enjoying how my body feels as far as my joints and everything,” he said, according to Terrell.